ALTA Guides to Literary Translation:
The Book-Length Translation Proposal
Translators are often called upon to write book-length publishing
proposals, particularly when the
translator is initiating the project.
However, an author, editor, or agent may request this kind of proposal
as well. A translator's proposal
resembles the proposal any writer would submit in many respects except that in
addition it must address the special issues raised by a work not originally
written in English.
This guide will explain the purpose and describe the elements of a
standard book-length translation proposal. By following the steps outlined here,
consulting the sample letters, and utilizing the resources listed, the
beginning translator should be able to produce a polished, professional
proposal. More experienced translator
will find ways to improve their submissions as well as helpful new resources.
First Things First
Before you prepare a proposal, you should
·
determine that the translation rights to the work are available,
and
·
draw up a circulation list.
As early on as possible, the translator must determine the status
of the translation rights of the work he/she has chosen. The importance of this step cannot be
overemphasized. You cannot legally
publish a
translation without obtaining the English-language rights to the
original work.
Generally this means contacting the foreign rights manager of the
work's original publisher. In addition,
there are a few specialized
agencies that negotiate translation rights between foreign and
American
publishers, and they can be very helpful. For example, if you are dealing with a book
published in France, the French Publishers' Agency (Le Bureau du Livre
Français) in New York can help you determine the status of a book's translation
rights, i.e., whether they have been sold, and if so, to whom. This type of
agency may also be willing to contact an American press to let them know you
are interested in translating a given title. See both "ALTA Guides to
Literary Translation: Breaking Into Print" (available on the ALTA website
or from the ALTA offices) and
Once you have chosen a book that you would like to translate, or
have
already begun to translate, and determined that the rights are
available, your first question is likely to be: "How do I go about getting
this book published?" In fact,
choosing the right publisher can sometimes seem like more than half the battle.
It is natural to be daunted by the vast English-language market of
the
Every publishing house has a unique profile. The trick is choosing
a publisher known to be interested in your type of project. In the
·
commercial presses publish translations of fiction (and only
rarely poetry) as well as biographies, histories, letters, and other literary
nonfiction with a broad appeal or potential for publicity;
·
university presses publish poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
of high quality but not necessarily the commercial potential required by
commercial publishers. They also publish scholarly works and studies, which can
also be translations. In addition, university presses often have series
focusing on certain types of works: for example,
·
small presses usually focus on more narrowly defined areas of interest,
particularly poetry, without significant commercial potential.
It is often difficult to decide which type of publisher would be
most
appropriate for your proposal. There has been increasing overlap
in the last ten years particularly between the commercial and university
presses, as the latter take over the "mid-list" books once published
commercially. This is not to say that your book is more likely to be published
by a university press because it is somehow more specialized or
"obscure." Many university
presses do make quite an effort in their marketing strategies to sell
translation titles to a larger audience.
One way to locate potential publishers is to find other books
somehow similar to yours and see who published them. You can also consult the wealth of references
available on publishers. Look through
the catalog at your public or college library, search the internet and the
writers' references listed below under "References." Consult, too,
publishers' catalogues to get an idea as to what titles publishers are
interested in. Another fine way to identify presses that might be interested in
your work is to talk to other published translators. Such personal references can be very fruitful.
For additional discussion of this important topic, refer to the
"References" section below, as well as "Breaking into
Print" and PEN's "Handbook of Literary Translation."
Once you have found a substantial number of prospective publishers
for your translation, draw up a detailed circulation list. When the
proposal comes back with a rejection slip--and the statistical
likelihood is that you will receive many more rejections than acceptances--you
should be ready to send it off again immediately.
The Query
Before you write a lengthy proposal, it is a good idea to send out
a brief prospectus or query to prospective publishers. This should include a
cover letter describing the project, a resume of the translator with a sample
of published work, and some information about the author of the original work.
The whole prospectus should comprise no more than a few succinct pages but give
enough information about the importance of the project to spark interest. You may send this initial prospectus to many
editors at once without encountering the delicate question of lengthy multiple
submissions (see below). It is also useful in your cover letter to ask the
editor what other presses she/he might suggest you contact if she/he is not
interested in your project. Another advantage of sending out many such short
queries is that you are likelier to receive more immediate responses, which
will help you decide where to send your full proposal. You can also speed
consideration by sending your query to a specific editor rather than to an
anonymous "Editor-in-Chief."
Call the publisher directly and ask for the name of the fiction editor
or the editor of a given series or even a specific recent book.
The Book Proposal
Every press has its own guidelines for a book proposal, from
fairly
short and informal to highly structured and lengthy. Sometimes, a
one- to two-page cover letter and a short sample translation will suffice for
the book to be accepted. More often than not, though, you will be expected to
write a more formal and detailed proposal.
Written guidelines may exist, or an editor may tell you in a letter or
phone call what to include in your proposal.
In either case, follow those instructions carefully. Many presses
require a vote by their editorial board before approving a book for
publication, so it is in your interest to follow the requested guidelines and
give as complete information as possible.
When writing the proposal, always assume that you are addressing a
general audience, i.e., an editorial board composed of people who do not
necessarily know the language from which you are translating and who may have
minimal familiarity with the culture and country from which the text has
emerged. You should be prepared to supply all of the following information,
even though not every editor will require it all.
1. A cover letter briefly introducing the author and the book and
explaining how it relates to the
2. An author biography and introduction to the author and his
work, which should include principal publications, previous translations into
English or other languages, and any literary prizes or honors received.
3. A synopsis of the book with a statement on the work's literary
and
cultural significance.
4. Reviews of this book and any others by the author, particularly
in
English, that seem relevant. You may also be asked to provide
translations of reviews of the original work; e.g., a selection of reviews from
the most reputed Japanese literary magazines and journals, for a work from
5. A bibliography, including the author's books and all literature
cited in the proposal.
6. Your resume and biography, including principal publications,
previous translations into English, and literary prizes or awards received, if
any. Include a brief statement of your approach to translation and your
methodology, if appropriate.
7. An excerpt from the original text with an accompanying polished
sample translation. Expect to be asked for twenty to thirty pages.
8. If you already have ideas about the cover and illustrations,
you may
suggest these in your proposal. Some presses will expect ideas and
even
sample photos from you, and others will make these decisions
internally. You may even be expected to secure rights to photo and illustration
reprints, so be prepared to do this early on. Also, if possible, ask the author
whether he/she has any suggestions or strong feelings about the cover, as the
latter can be critical in setting the tone for the entire work.
9. If the press or series in question requires an introduction to
the work (for example, a scholarly introduction in a university press series),
be prepared to write this yourself. If you don't feel you have the necessary
background, suggest to the editor someone else in the field whom they might
contact to write the introduction. Such introductions are usually just a few
pages, when they are intended for the generalist, but can be forty or
fifty pages and include a bibliography
when they are meant to be read by more interested students or scholars. In your
book proposal discuss your wish to write, or not write, an introduction to the
book. Naturally, the issue will arise later, once the project is under way.
However, it may be useful for your proposal to explain your level of expertise
early on.
Multiple Submissions
There is a taboo inside the publishing industry against multiple
submissions. It is a bad idea to submit a complete manuscript to
more than one publisher at a time, and understandably so. If an editor is so impressed with a project
as to read the entire manuscript, he or she would be understandably indignant
at the translator if the manuscript was also being considered elsewhere.
A good proposal, on the other hand, is concise. If the cover letter and supporting materials
persuade the editor to read the sample
translation, he/she has still spent only an hour or so on the
proposal. It is entirely reasonable to
submit a book proposal to as many editors as are likely prospects. If and when
an editor shows interest, you will follow one of two routes, depending on your
situation.
If for some reason you have already translated the complete
manuscript, you can explain that the query is being read by others as well but
that you would be happy to submit the full manuscript to this one editor
exclusively for a specific length of time, say six to eight weeks. Should you receive another request for the
manuscript, you can then tell the second editor that the manuscript is being
considered elsewhere and it will be available again for review when the six
weeks are up. If no other editors
express interest, of course, there is no need to withdraw the manuscript from
the first editor at the end of the six weeks.
Not everyone will have a full manuscript at the proposal stage,
and indeed there is a strong argument in favor of not translating the
manuscript first. The translator may
choose to prepare and submit a book proposal before completing the translation. In that case, if an editor
expresses interest in pursuing the project, the translator can submit as much
as is available or can come to an agreement with the editor about how much of
the manuscript should be submitted by what date. A press is unlikely to accept a project on
the basis of an initial brief query, but it might well be satisfied with
something less than a complete translation.
Rejections
Although it is easy to say, try not to be too disheartened by
rejections. They are part of any writer's life, no matter what the
field of writing. By drawing up a circulation list of potential publishers, you
make it easy to send the proposal out again immediately and in this way may
soothe some of the sting of rejection.
Again, it can be quite useful to ask a press for ideas about other
publishers that might be interested in your translation. Most editors are happy to suggest other
contacts if they can.
Sometimes rejection letters provide a brief explanation of why the
proposal was not accepted. Glean from these what you can. Decide
whether the editor has said anything useful that may then help you to improve
your proposal.
Sample letters (various types)
[to come]
References
There is an abundance of books and magazines about publishers,
about
writing in general, and about writing book proposals in
particular. Most of that advice will
apply to your translation proposal. You,
however, have the additional job of convincing the editor that the extra risk
(and, often, expense) of publishing a work from a foreign writer and culture
that must go through the additional stage of translation is worthwhile.
"ALTA Guides to Literary Translation: Breaking into
Print."
The Babel Guides, published by Boulevard Books,
· The
Translation
· The
Laurence Laluyaux, and Gareth Stanton
· The
· The
Directory of Poetry Publishers has over 100 entries under
"Translation." Order from Dustbooks,
Directory of Small Press/Magazine Editors and Publishers
Handbook of Latin American Studies
International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses
Literary Horizons
Literary Market Place
Novel and Short Story Writer's Market, edited by
Barbara Kuroff. This
includes sample query letters and the do's and don't's of writing
them.
“PEN Handbook for Literary Translators”
Small Press Record of Books in Print
2000 Writer's Market, edited by Kirsten C. Holm and Donya
Dickerson
Writer's Digest
Writer's Guide to Internet Resources, Vicky Phillips
and Cindy Yager
Writer's International Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and
Literary
Agents, by Jeff Herman
Useful Websites
[to come]